Flawed
by stilltiltin
Summary: George came to Zoe's door. What will Zoe say to Wade when she goes back to her bedroom.


**Quick one shot. When Zoe goes back to her bedroom, what will she say to Wade?**

**Flawed**

She came back into her room after answering the door to find George on her porch. George! Wow! Now, what was she going to do? Wade was right, there was something between them, and it was more than just sexual tension, but George called off his wedding for her!

She stood there looking at Wade lying in her bed. She could still feel his kiss and his touch. She blushed at what she had done with him. But, god, the man was sexy. What was she going to do?

One thing she did know, most of the fighting and tension between her and Wade, most of the misunderstandings and antagonism happened because they had not been honest with each other until tonight. She knew she had to be honest with Wade now and tell him it had been George at the door. She had to do it right, but she never seemed to be able to say the right thing with Wade. Things just didn't come out right. When he looked at her or smiled that smile at her, her thoughts scattered. He had done that pretty much since the first moment she saw that slow, sexy smile as she railed at him about using too much electricity. Now, her thoughts were a riot tumbling one over the other. Wade was in her bed. George wanted to be with her. George freakin' Tucker wanted to be with her! Her!

Now she had to face Wade and tell him George had been at the door. She knew she had to say this right so he would understand. She just had to keep her wits about her.

"You comin' back to bed, Zoe?"

She couldn't just keep standing there like a dimwit so she walked slowly over to her bed and sat on the edge. Wade reached for her to pull her in beside him. "Wade, I need you to not do that right now." He had her in the bed but released her looking confused giving her just enough time to sit up cross-legged on her bed.

"But, Zoe, I just wanted to kiss you." Oh, this was going to be harder than she thought. "Listen, Wade, for the next few minutes I need you not to touch me or kiss me. It is just too much right now, and you somehow just scramble my thoughts when you look at me or smile at me."

"I scramble your thoughts, huh?" He said getting a bit cocky and grinning ear to ear. "Yes." She said trying to look at him and keep her head about her.

"Wade, I'm being serious. I really need you to sit there and let there be some space between us so I can say this right." He looked at her concerned. She moaned softly, this was so much harder than she thought, and she didn't want this conversation ... not tonight!

"Look, Wade, I'm freaking out here. I just need to keep it together, and I need you to keep it together for the next few minutes and hear what I have to say ... all of it until I'm done. I need you to not get upset or angry or to touch me until I'm done." A look of panic crossed Wade's face. "Can you do that for me, Wade?" "Yes." His voice was hoarse with concern.

"I wanted to answer the door and tell Lavon I was fine and then come back in here for some of that vise versa you were were talking about." "Wanted to?" There was a question but still some of the Wade Kinsella cockiness in his voice.

"That wasn't Lavon at the door."

"Who was it? Did something happen?"

Zoe forged ahead. "It was George Tucker." Wade paled and a flash of anger crossed his face.

"What the fuck, Zoe? Why?" he said starting to get up.

"Just, please hear me out." She was almost begging him now because he looked ready to bolt. "George called off the wedding. He came here to tell me he did it because of me because he wants to be with me." She said it all in one go.

"Zoe, are you fucking kidding me?"

"Please Wade, just let me finish. He kissed me and wants to talk to me tomorrow."

"Zoe, just stop, okay. I get it. He wants you, and you want him. I don't need to know anything else. Guess, thanks for tonight." And Wade made a move to leave.

"Wade you promised to hear me out." She was barely holding it together. She just wanted to cry and could feel tears forming. Wade must have seen them because he sat back down, dropped his eyes and said "Okay, Zoe, okay."

She got herself together as best she could. She couldn't believe how hard that was, and it wasn't even the hardest part for her. No, that was still to come. She hated this situation, she hated this conversation, but she had to say it all and be completely honest because she needed to know just one thing at the end.

"I have been crushing on George since I met him. I've been pining for him and trying to get him to notice me and drop Lemon since I first came to Bluebell."

"George is the perfect guy for me." She kept her eyes on Wade and even though he wasn't looking at her, she saw his whole body tense up. "We have so much in common. We're both professionals - he's a lawyer and I'm a doctor. He's charming and gracious and well-mannered. He's funny and easy to be around. He comes from a respected family, he helps people who need him. He knows and loves New York. He is a local hero and everyone in Bluebell looks up to him. He is a pillar of the community. I mean the man won the MOTY this year. That should say it all. He is just the perfect man and perfect for me."

Wade was just staring at her, and she could see he was furious, but he sat there listening to her because he had promised.

"After the bachelor party when George first called off the wedding, I met him in New Orleans at this great little jazz club. We spent the evening dancing and laughing and even pretended we were newlyweds on our honeymoon! It was a wonderful night and then we kissed. It was magical. I was floating on air for the next few days because there was a promise of starting something with George that could be great! "

"God, Zoe, why are you telling me this? Just stop. I get it. You and George are perfect for each other. He's who you want to be with. You don't have to say anymore."

"Wade, just hear me out. Then George chose to marry Lemon. He chose her over me and that hurt so much. I was so disappointed because I felt like I wasn't good enough for George. Why didn't he pick me? What was wrong with me? I thought I would always be alone because George didn't want to be with me. But now, he wants to be with me. He chose me over Lemon. The perfect guy wants to be with me!

"George just floats through life having everything come easy to him. He never has a dream go unfulfilled because that doesn't happen to the perfect guy. He never has to fight or struggle to get what he wants. He never even thinks about it because he expects he is good enough to have everything he desires come his way. It isn't arrogant or anything. It's just how he is that makes everything so easy for him. Who wouldn't want to be with that? It is the storybook life!"

"On the other hand, you, Wade Kinsella ... you are the flawed man. Far from perfect. You are rebellious, irreverent, flippant and sarcastic most of the time. You are cocky and arrogant. You are unbelievably stubborn and act like you don't give a damn what people think about you. You are antagonistic to me always trying to wind me up to get a reaction. You leer at me and almost every woman who comes near you. You always make sexually suggestive comments to me and have been trying to get me in bed since the first time we met. You think I'm stuck up and selfish and that I act superior to everyone. You make fun of me every chance you get. You constantly pick fights with me and try to make me feel uncomfortable." Wade was looking at her and she could see anger in his eyes. She just had to keep going now. "I'm so sorry," he said sarcastically and started to get off the bed, but she put her hand on his arm to stop him.

"I'm not finished yet, Wade," she said softly, and he sat back down, but she could still see that anger.

"You also are always there to help a friend in need. You always help me, no matter what. No matter the time of day or night or the inconvenience to you. No matter what mess I get myself into or how many times I say I don't need your help, you will always go out of your way to help me. You have tried harder than anyone else here to show me how to fit into Bluebell, even though I told you I didn't want what you were offering. In your own obnoxious and unconventional way, you try to show me a new way to look at at the world to push my boundaries and loosen up a bit so I can get out of my own way. You do nice things for people, and with all your flaws, you have the kindest, biggest, most forgiving heart I have ever seen."

"But George is perfect for me. He is, on paper, the right and best man for me, and I should run to him and be perfect and happy with him. I mean, George Tucker just came to my door and says he wants me? Wow, that is just so unbelievable. Like a fairy tale. I should be ecstatic. I just have one question for him: Will you change your mind again, and hurt me again by choosing Lemon or do you truly want to be with me?"

"One thing I know about you, Wade. Flawed as you are, you are unwavering. You are constant in your care."

She sighed, "Now, I ... I have major flaws. I am stubborn and selfish. I want what I want and can disregard everyone and everything around me to focus on getting what I want. I act superior and stuck up and turn my nose up at local traditions and all the weirdness in Bluebell. I act like I'm smarter than everyone else. I stereotype people - especially you. It takes me a long time to see past the surface and accept people." Wade was looking at her like she was crazy. "I'm argumentative, stubborn, overly sensitive to slights and extremely insecure. I can be completely insensitive to others and how my actions or words might affect them. I am insulting to you most of the time and say mean things to you. I dismiss you, and I do act like I am better than you. I am ashamed at how I acted about George and chased him and basically broke up his wedding. I'm a freaking home wrecker. I am supposed to be trying to be a better person, but I obviously failed in my obsession with George. In short, I treat you badly, am far from perfect and, honestly, I am not that interested in being perfect."

Wade looked stunned, a bit suspicious and hurt. Now, here was the hardest part of all.

"So, Wade, you need to make a choice. Am I, with all my faults good enough for you? Can you forgive me for being so unkind and dismissive of you and maybe want to be with me? Because I need to know that." Wade seemed stunned. "I need to know if I'm good enough for you because I find that I don't want mister perfect after all. I want mister flawed. I want the guy who pushes me out of my comfort zone. The guy who gets what it is like to be knocked on his ass by life who has to fight for his dreams, has seen them crushed, but can still put a smile on his face, continue living and caring for others. You were right, there is something between us, and I've fought it since the first time I laid eyes on you and saw that slow, sexy smile cross your face as you taunted me. You make fireworks go off in my head when you look at me. Your touch is like fire on my skin and your kiss makes me go weak in the knees. I find I want that guy who can make me uncomfortable for my own good, keep up with me in an argument and whose smile warms me from the inside. I just need to know if I'm good enough for him to want me back."

She finally stopped. She hadn't realized she was crying until a sob shook her. She wanted so much for Wade to want to be with her, but she wasn't sure he would. He was probably disgusted with her at this point and just done with her and all her George Tucker drama. Who could blame him?

Wade reached for her hand then and they sat in silence for a few minutes. Zoe was so miserable waiting to hear his response. As another sob shook her, Wade finally spoke, "Never say those things about yourself again. You may have faults, you may need to work on being a better person. I'm not sure about all that because I like all of your flaws, every damn one of them."

"Now, woman, I don't want to talk about George Tucker anymore tonight." She looked up at him and saw that roguish glint in his eye that thrilled her. "He's kept me from kissing you for far too long. So, if the Dr. Phil portion of the evening is over, I'd like to get to that vice versa you mentioned." He kissed her then slowly and deeply, and she thought she might actually melt from the heat. Then he traced his fingers up the inside of her thigh making her moan with pleasure. He looked at her and said "Fire, huh?" "Mmm... Fire!" She moaned.

As she was falling asleep in his arms that night, Wade whispered softly in her ear, "I choose you, Zoe Hart with all your flaws." And she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. She'd done it right!

**Hope you like this one. Rolling around in my head for a while. Reviews are welcome. Enjoy!**


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